Anything is Possible
by gregory taylor
Summary: Bloodlines and unfathomable Magic run wild in this Time Travel adventure. Who knows what the truth is anymore? All Hermione Granger knows is war, can Slytherin's least popular student help her find peace? Plotting families, Ancient Magics and Stupid Teenagers! SS/HG no beta but I'd love one!
1. Hermione

_Finally it was over_. Hermione could barely contain herself. _Two years!_ Two years she, Harry and Ron had run. But now it was done. The Castle around her was in ruins but the wild haired girl paid the battered fortress no mind. Instead she rushed toward the great hall.

"Has anyone seen Him?" She called. People around her parted as she pushed threw to get to the Great Hall.

"Please has anyone seen Professor Snape?" Several nearby Hufflpuffs shook their heads.

"Has anyone seen the Professor?" She cried. It had been some time since she had stopped to drink and her mouth was beyond dry. Hermione swallowed thickly and continued pushing threw the castle toward the Great Hall. It was said to have been converted into a makeshift hospital, but the former Gryffindor had yet to see if for herself. She had been in the forest half the night protecting that side of the castle from all the werewolves and vampires and the other portion of the evening was spent on the Astronomy Tower where Voldemort had faced Harry, Ron and herself.

Harry, Ron. The flash of green light Harry's anguished screams echoed in her heart. NO! She couldn't' think on that now.

"Miss Granger you can't cross here the staircase was blown to bits," A portrait shouted. Hermione looked down indeed there was nothing but air from the fifth to the fourth floor. A few younger students were crying looking at the gap afraid and upset they could not reach wherever they were headed. Hermione looked up at the picture a dark-eyed man who looked remarkably like the one she was searching for.

"Who are you?" She demanded. The man smirked an annoyingly familiar smirk yet somehow different from The Professor's. This smirk held humor a light of laughing if there was such a place for that sort of thing in the new world.

"My friends call me Sly" He gestured grandly bowing, as he could not shake her hand.

"Have you seen Professor Snape?" It was desperate to ask a picture. Why, more accurately _how_, could he possibly know? The man's smirk vanished and he seemed to age before her.

"Last I heard, Dear One, he was in the Great Hall."

Hermione did not stay to hear more. Pulling her wand from her robes the 19-year-old took a running leap off the edge of the staircase. Before she could even say the spell to fly herself across her wand glowed a black green colour and she was propelled without asking to the other side.

"GRANGER WAIT!" The painting shouted. Several students jumped at his loud voice it was not natural for a picture to boom quite so loudly. Hermione ignored the mysterious man "Sly". She had no time for him. She had only one thought get to the man who was bleeding so badly last she saw him.

The images jumped before her eyes unbidden.

Greyback's forces were nearly on the retreat but the Vampires seemed to have no use for the idea and came on as strong as ever. Hermione was pouring sweat, firing the sun curse and mage light in ever direction. Severus stood some distance from her wand jabbing and hand pushing bright magic from his body effectively covering his ass and the child with him. Some stupid Gryffindor thought his place was on the battlefield and had joined the garrison by the forest unknowing the onslaught that was to come. He was still alive, so that was something, but the boy was weakly firing curses from Severus' side petrified with fear for his life.

But as she watched Severus dance around the enemy, a vampire slipped under her guard and lunged for her chest. She screamed and threw her hands up. The vamp caught in her arms knocking Hermione's wand to the left. It was a power struggle on strength alone now and Hermione was sure to lose. She had been fighting for hours and was not blessed with the night gifts that this creature was making the red-eyed man twice as strong.

_This is the end. This is how I die. Bye Harry. Bye Ron. _ These thoughts flashed threw her mind. But by some unknown force the bloodthirsty man was lifted off of her and away. Scrambling she grabbed her for her wand. Her hand connected with it and she cast wildly, straight into the air.

"LUMOS MAXIMA!" She screamed. It was like a flash bang had gone off. Bright light filled her every sense and screams pounded on her eardrums. The spell was not intended to produce an orb of pulsing light like the sun but she assumed fear had pumped power into the spell. There were shrieks all around her and Hermione saw a massive retreat and massacre.

The vamps that were already wounded and were unable to make a full retreat feel covering their eyes shrieking as their flesh sizzled. Hermione looked for Severus and the boy but it was too late. The boy was kneeling in a pool of the Professor's blood casting a shield charm repeatedly and crying.

Hermione ran to him. He was alive but his throat was shredded. He would die soon without help. His dark eyes met hers.

"Please I'm sorry please don't! I love you! Please!" She babbled. His eyes widened slightly and Hermione thought he would say something. Instead he simply passed out. Hermione shook him. He didn't awaken. Grabbing the boy and Severus' body she turned thinking only of Madam Promfrey.

In the real world, the sensible world, the world that had vanished after her 6th year had ended and Dumbledore had been slain, one could no apparate inside Hogwarts. Moreover, in _any_ world apparating to a person was impossible but this was war. Not just any war. The Second Great War of Britain

. _**Anything**_ was possible.


	2. Severus: Blast to the Past!

Severus Snape was livid. Those wretched Marauders couldn't let him have a happy Christmas they had to get one last attack in before their train rides to their happy go lucky homes. He scowled again and rolled his shoulder. Potter had nailed him with a hammer jinx right on his shoulder blade. Pomfrey had given him some pain potion to relive the ache but it wasn't enough.

"Infernal woman thinks I'm a child" He grumbled rubbing his shoulder. She had likely given him too little. She had a habit of treating the 7th year Slytherin like he was still the scrawny first year who stumbled into her infirmary for the first time after a potions mishap. Severus smirked at the memory; his face had been positively black with soot from the explosion.

Severus continued toward the Great Hall growing more irritable as he neared. Damn Dumbledore and his bossiness.

"You're the only student Severus, My boy" Severus's face pinched and he made a overly high-pitched and flamboyant voice for his headmaster. "You must come to dinner lad," He grumbled. As he reached and climbed the last set of stairs before the Entrance Hall a dull ringing began in his ears.

_Ow stoooppp,_ His mind whispered for fear of his headache hearing and worsening. Apparently the headache did for as he took the final stair the ringing became a dull roar. He groaned making a face. _Whhhyy?_, headaches had always been a struggle for Severus but normally a pounding not this. _This was not normal,_ he realized.

Perhaps it was something he'd been hit with earlier. _Fucking Potter, I hope all you get is coal you asrewhipe. _

If he could just make it to the Great Hall before the sound was overwhelming Pomfrey would be there, she could help him. If he passed out in the Entrance Hall who knows how long it would be before anyone found him.

The screaming in his head was at a peek and Severus had never found the Entrance Hall to be so long. His vision tunneled and with his last push of fight adrenaline Severus Snape ran threw the double doors.

There was a loud BANG followed by an almost comical CRASH as he entered. Something collided with his back and his body and the something slammed into the table the staff was seated around expressions of shock on every face.

"Oh bugger" He groaned. The roar was gone, Thank Merlin, but now his body ached from whatever was on him and his collision with the table.

"What the fuck?" he heard a voice. The weight lifted and he rolled onto his back and his mouth dropped.

/H&S/

Hermione gazed unblinkily at the teenager before her on the ground. His long black hair was hanging in his eyes. His eyes, his beautiful black eyes, were round as tea saucers.

"Sir?" She croaked. Gods her throat was dry. Someone cleared theirs above the boy. The moment was broken and he blinked tilting his head thoughtfully. His hair fell over one shoulder and Hermione found it oddly endearing.

"Miss, may I ask you are you?" Hermione searched for the speaker. Her eyes found the Headmaster. Dumbledore.

"I've died?" She asked. "But How? I was just coming to look for Professor Snape!" She was babbling. She was panicking. _What had happened?_ She was just walking to the Great Hall. She felt an odd resistance at the door but pushed threw and then what? Onto this attractive young man.

"Hey." She looked down. His black eyes were warm and he clambered to his feet holding out his hand. "Hey now it's okay you're safe" His voice was so silky. Baritone was the word.

"Are you Professor Snape?" She asked. She felt like screaming, like crying, like laughing hysterically. How had Snape become a teenager in Heaven? Maybe she was becoming a child!

"I'm Severus Snape" He replied. He kept his hand held out to her and with the other reached into his pocket. Hermione reeled back pulling her wand desperately.

"Whoa whoa!" He said. "I'm getting a handkerchief love, your head's bleeding." He said showing her the dark green cloth. "Come here" he waved it.

Her fingers touched her face. It did have blood on it.

"How did it happen?" She demanded wand still trained on the boy. "How'd I die?" She asked.

"You didn't die love. You're okay!" the Slytherin boy gave a puff of laughter. "You're okay. Let me fix you up and we'll figure it out."

"Sir?"

"Yes love?"

"I don't.." Hermione's world spun. "I can't.." She put both hands on her head it felt like it was tumbling in a drier. "Please!" She cried. "I can't"

"You don't have too. Come here." He held open both his arms. Hermione took a shaky step toward the boy and collapsed into his sturdy arms.

/H&S/

Severus felt her go completely limp in his arms. He sighed with relief.

"Who is she Severus?" Pomfrey broke the silence first.

Severus smirked and sank into his seat still holding her pulling the curly haired girl into his lap. He swiped at her bleeding face with his cloth.

"No idea." He shrugged. "Pretty enough" as soon as the words escaped his mouth he glowered. _Why on Earth had he said that?_

"Be that as it may." Pomfrey pursed her lips. Severus shrugged again. Pomfrey ran her wand over the girl. "Exhaustion, Dehydration, Under Nourished." She clucked her tongue. "Whoever she is she looks like she's been threw quite the ordeal."

"Clearly, she was under the impression she died" Severus pointed out smartly. Pomfrey swatted his arm.

"Cheeky boy." Severus shrugged again not sure what was happening to him. He may act that way privately but not to Pomfrey's face much less in front of the other teachers. "I'll take her to the hospital wing now Mr. Snape."

The girl was lifted out of his lap and the nurse began to walk away. Severus turned around to watch them leave. The brown curls tumbled toward the ground madly but hovered just above the stone flood.

Wild, she was wild. Her brown eyes were like that of a child or a frightened animal. Her hair was wild, mad, bushy and for some reason he couldn't really put words to why, she made his heart beat wildly.

"Well a Happy Christmas indeed!" Dumbledore said and he stood exiting the hall at full stride followed by the Transfiguration teacher.

"Happy Christmas" Severus muttered sassily.

Professor Flitwick spat pumpkin juice everywhere and began to choke.

"Well then." And the only student in left in the castle began to eat.


	3. Chapter 3

Hermione Granger awoke in the hospital wing. She knew it by the ceiling, it was a ceiling she had seen many a time during her school years. But something was wrong. Her last memory made no sense. The boy was _Severus Snape_? Professor Severus Snape?

"Ah you are awake my dear!" Hermione sat bolt upright. Dumbledore. Albus Dumbledore was at the foot of her bed.

"Oh" She murmured.

"Despite what you are thinking you are not dead." He smiled sadly. "Today is December 17th 1977 a Thursday. May I ask who you are?" His blue eyes were alight with curiosity.

"Oh" she said again. Hermione leaned against her headboard. "I'm called Hermione." She said. "1977 you say?" her eyes met the x-ray ones at the foot of her bed. He nodded.

"I take it by your sudden and inexplicable arrival at dinner you are not from around this when." He chuckled. Hermione shook her head letting out a semi hysterical laugh.

"How far have you wondered? We can host you until such time you catch up with yourself." He offered. Hermione let out a full-fledged laugh.

"You better give me a job then, I'm going to be here 22 years!" She couldn't help it she just laughed. The old man's jaw dropped.

"That kind of travel isn't possible here." He said trying to justify his stupor. The powerful witch and wizard were silent for a moment both thinking.

What broke their silent pondering was the creaking of the door. Both looked simultaneously but had two very different reactions. The girl beamed. If that really was Professor Snape and her memory was accurate he was much nicer in this time, not to mention incredibly cute.

The wizard however frowned. "Mr. Snape, I must ask you to leave, if you have need of Madam Pomfrey take a seat over there" He flicked his wand and drew the curtain. Hermione frowned. Before she could speak however the curtain was drawn back not angrily but coolly.

Snape in her time would have lost his mind at being ordered about in front of others. The boy turned his head and studied her. He gave a crooked smile.

"Hi" Hermione smiled.

"Mr. Snape explain yourself!" Theadmaster seemed shocked at the younger man's actions.

"Well you see headmaster, this girl who is obviously acquainted with me, is in the hospital and I desire to visit her." He said taking the empty chair beside her bed and smirking as if it was the most obvious thing and the other man was clearly a dunderhead for not knowing.

Hermione looked between the two wizards. In her time it was known they were the two most powerful wizards on the side of light. It was also known the wise old teacher often had power struggles with his rebellious spy. Apparently it had been a lifelong occurrence.

"You will leave now," the headmaster demanded.

"Fair enough" Severus stood. Hermione gasped softly, Snape NEVER folded so easily. "I'll simply make my way to the owlery I've got a letter to mail in to the Daily Prophet about one of the Marauders. I'm sure it'll be front page by the morning addition" The Slytherin had taken no more than two steps before the headmaster grabbed him by the collar and whirled him around.

Hermione had never seen Dumbledore mad. His blue eyes transformed from beautiful sky blue to a dark sapphire. His right hand, his wand hand twitched in anger. He towered, looming over even Severus at 6 feet. His white square teeth were bared and gritted. His old looking muscles tense as if he intended to punch the younger man. Hermione scarcely dared breathe.

"You will do no such thing!" He ground out. Severus adopted the most innocent face she had ever seen. His black eyes almost had her believing him.

"Tell them all about how Saint Potter is really a bulling toe rag" He smirked "you know those Marauders are positively _animalistic_"

_Wow so this is Slytherin at it's finest_, Hermione was actually impressed. AND his threat was just vague enough to be referring to Remus' furry little problem or the unregistered animagus living under the castle roof.

"Albus!" Madam Pomfrey emerged from her office at a brisk jog. She uncurled the old man's fingers from Severus collar. Severus retreated to the chair by the bed. "You may not manhandle the students!" She shouted, Dumbledore looked considerably calmer not staring into the eyes of the Slytherin who infuriated him.

"I shall be back Miss." Dumbledore realized she had not given him as last name. Hermione shook her head at his unspoken question. "Hermione."

With that the headmaster made a quick exit.

"Severus Tobias Snape! How do you manage to infuriate him so! I've never met anyone who could get his goat so easily!" Madam Pomfrey ranted. Severus sniggered.

"Here are your potions Miss, I've got to go down and see Horace about some dreamless sleep as I seem to be out but you are in capable hands with Mr. Snape." Hermione downed the potions and the nurse exited as well leaving the two teenagers to themselves.

"So Hermione" Severus said.

"Yes?"

"I'm a Professor wherever you come from?" He asked. Hermione should have known he was so clever. He was a genius in her time.

"Potions Master too." She nodded. He let out a huge puff of breath. Leaning back Severus propped his feet on the end of her bed.

"I had wished… but I wasn't sure. Wow" He smiled "So who are you?"

"I'm Hermione."

"So I've heard" He smirked and stretched. Hermione's eyes drew the bottom of his shirt. In his stretch his shirt had ridden up to show his pale skin and black hair that was a happy trail. Hermione flushed and turned. Severus smirked again.

"Are you my girlfriend Hermione?" His face was incredibly smug. Hermione chuckled.

"Sadly no" She grinned. He let out a short laugh.

"Would you like to be?" He grinned. Hermione giggled back.

"Not today." She laughed. He laughed too. It was an odd sound but strangely beautiful. Hermione wanted to here him laugh forever.

"How far ahead are you from?" Severus said toeing off his worn boots and tattered gray socks under the bed. Hermione's smile faded quickly. Her mouth went dry once more.

"Twenty-two years" she whispered.

)))((((H&S))))(((

"What happened?" Severus kept his voice low. She had been out, laughing beautiful, but when he asked about her home she went away. The light had vanished and she hung her head. Curls hid her face from his gaze.

"There was war. We fought together you and I, soldiers together. You fell. Harry Fell. Ron fell. Everyone, everyone I care about was just…" She couldn't speak her voice was choked up. Severus knew she was crying or going to cry.

"Hey" He said she turned her face away from him. Severus hesitated he had no idea what was proper bedside manner for this sort of thing. _Then again,_ he thought_, I never do the proper thing. _He thought, shifting from his chair to her bed he slung one arm around her and pulled her to him. She turned easily and buried her face in his.. armpit? What a strange girl.

Severus wanted to laugh that he could see nothing but curls. Brown twists and corkscrews in his face. They sat that way for who knows how long. She didn't feel like she was crying but occasionally she'd shake and Severus would pull her closer. Eventually the wild girl settled and before Severus knew it she was snoring lightly against his chest.

"_And I shall hear, thou soft you tread above me, and all my grave will be warmer, sweeter be, for you will bend and tell me that you love me, and I shall sleep in peace till you come to me_." As the last words left his lips his eyes closed and his head rolled forward into the bushy curls before him.

From the doors of the Hospital Wing the stern nurse listened to Severus's low voice sing to the strange girl. The nurse felt as if she had just gazed upon something never meant to be seen. The two slept in the narrow bed naturally together as if they had been together their entire lives. She didn't know who this troubled girl was but if she could make Severus sing then she was welcome to stay forever. _Severus deserved a reason to sing_, she thought.

)))))))H&S(((((

**AN: Severus's Song is from Oh Danny Boy which in addition to Harry Potter I do not own. Reviews would be lovely!**


	4. Bedtime Stories

Albus Dumbledore had a real problem on his hands. Hermione. She couldn't be handed over to the ministry who knows what they might do to her. She might know things that would be useful to him. He considered the time laws and then scoffed, if she really was from twenty-two years in the future there was no way she could not impact the time stream.

_Apart from die_, his brain whispered, _you could simply drain her of her mind and be rid of her. _ The Headmaster shook his head and poured himself a fire whiskey. He couldn't go about killing children. Plus if he killed her he'd have to be rid of Severus too, and while no one knew about Hermione the Snape boy had family, acquaintances. He sniggered at the idea of claiming Severus Snape had friends. No that boy had allies.

Hermione made him edgy. As soon as he'd heard how far ahead she was from his mind had screamed to question her. Nay Interrogate her know everything she knew. But he quelled this urge and let her sleep. After a brief fight with Snape. That boy just rubbed him the wrong way.

Sighing heavily the headmaster drowned his fire whisky and retreated for the night.

(((())))H&S(((())))))

Hermione woke from an uneasy sleep jerking for her wand. Beside her in the dark Severus was shaken awake by her jolting.

"Hermione what?" He began.

"Lumos!"

"Oh Fuck Hermione! Turn that off! What on Earth" Severus had his hands in front of his eyes shielding them from Hermione's bright wand. She lowered it a little.

"You?" She muttered. "Just you? Must have been a dream. Dreaming." She nodded lowering her wand completely but not turning off the light. Severus's eyes adjusted and he lowered his hands.

His head tilted in that way Hermione found adorable. Hermione was shaking, she hopped he couldn't see it; the hospital wing was pitch black other than her wand light.

"Tell me something. Something you haven't told anyone yet. Tell me something new." He spoke so matter o' factly Hermione would almost say he demanded it but she didn't feel ordered. She hesitated. He put his arms behind his head and sprawled out in the bed properly. Hermione heard several of his bones pop and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Before I came I was in a battle." She started. He closed his eyes but she knew he was listening hard. "My two best friends, Harry and Ron, We were on Astronomy Tower facing The Dark Lord. He was at his weakest. He even stumbled up the stairs to us." She took a deep breath to steady herself before speaking again.

FLASHBACK

_It surprised her he tripped over the last step. Apparently it took the boys by surprise as well for in their moment of shock a green light had shot into Ron's face. Apparently feeling the War wasn't going in his favor he had decided to just do it. No villainous monologue no witty banter with Harry. Just a trick and a dead Ron. Her mind screamed. Harry really did. _

"_RON!" Hermione's hair stood up on end. It was pure torture. It made her flash back to their first year when Ron had been knocked form his knight, but even worse. Harry made for his friend losing the battle sense. Hermione and Voldemort did not._

_She shot a shield in front of Harry and a green curse at the snake creature former man behind him. He smirked._

"_Big Spells for a such a little girl" He taunted throwing a fiery jinx at her. Hermione dodged being hit in the face and the window behind her exploded. "All grown up my Mudblood, Pity you didn't take to Draco, you would have been a wonderful slave." He said. Harry had turned at this point and threw his own curse._

_Or rather Expelliarmus, Hermione was always frustrated with Harry's refusal to use anything stronger than a Hammer hex. Voldemort fought the two of them effortlessly. He was certainly weaker than normal but still an exceptional fighter. He had no problem taking the two teenagers at once. _

"_Heard about your Horcuxes did you?" Harry goaded firing a curse and diving behind a model of Saturn and her moons. Titan exploded inches from his face with the reply._

'_Indeed figure that out on your own boy or did the old fool and your mudblood slut tell you that!' He hissed. Hermione wasn't sure making him angry was best but there was no way to tell him that now. "How about my spy did he tell you that? My traitor?" He seemed to get quicker with his anger. Hermione started pulling Harry toward the stairs gently still protecting them with a charm. _

"_You'd better get a handle on your Slut, Boy, the traitor had her too. Why do you think he would risk everything to save her from me? She's an even bigger slag than you knew" Voldemort laughed. _

"_News flash we're not together don't you read the papers?" Harry was sweating like a pig and their movement was slow Voldemort's curses shattering Hermione's charm every time it hit. She had to recast quickly to ready for the next one. Flashes to red and green. _

_Is this really the time Harry? Hermione thought desperately. Her wand hand was getting cramps and she was arching to make their get away. _

"_Read the papers? Harry my boy!" He smirked. His next two curses were too fast for her and the green light collided with Harry's chest. "I'm the only news worth hearing about." He finished. Hermione didn't know what to do she stop casting what did she do? Harry was the one to finish him, wasn't he?_

_Before she could make a decision Voldemort collapsed unconscious to the ground. Grabbing Harry's wand she took the stairs two at a time. Seal the tower, was her new plan. Turns out this plan was unnecessary. As she neared the bottom of the spinning tower a rumble shook the ground under her. Hermione tripped and tumbled down the remaining steps into the hall flat on her arse. A snap registered from beneath her. Harry's wand. She left it and began to run. It didn't take long before another rumble and a defining crash shook the castle. Looking out a window she saw nothing. There was no astronomy tower it had fallen into the black lake and was being dragged downward by the squid. There was no way a sleeping man had survived that crash. He was gone. And so were Harry and Ron no funeral for them. NO DON'T THINK ABOUT IT! Sadness almost overwhelmed her adrenaline. Had it she was sure she would have collapsed never to get up. Needing a new plan the sole member of the golden trio decided to go find her potions master. _

_She didn't even hear the shouts of _

"_WE DID IT!"_

"_VICTORY!"_

"_THE BASTARD'S DEAD!" _

FLASHBACK

(((((()_))))H&S(((()))))))

Severus didn't know all the players but he didn't need to, just to hear her speak of Harry and Ron he knew how she loved them. He felt how she didn't really know what to do with their deaths. It was as if she couldn't understand how they had died. In any time it seemed losing a loved one was incomprehensible. This saddened Severus. It wasn't reasonable to think that in the future they'd have stopped all killing or have unraveled why people had to die but that didn't mean he didn't wish with all his heart it were so.

"You tell rubbish stories" He finally spoke. He cracked his eyes. Hermione looked so lost sitting in the bed she might have been but she was far away. _Miles away_. She likely hadn't even heard him. He rolled onto his side and placed his hand gently on her leg. Her brown eyes cleared and she refocused on him.

She smiled weakly.

"Sorry I'll have a better one for tomorrow." She had heard him.

"It's okay these things take time" He nodded sagely. She didn't respond. "So I wonder how you ended up here on top of me." He waggled his eye brows. Hermione rolled her eyes. Severus had never been a waggler before. In fact he tended to hate those who dared move their eyebrows in anything more than an arch. But she needed it. This girl needed silly. Needed a child. He wasn't a child never had been, but he could try for her. He could move mountains for her. _Not sure why I would, but I would_, He thought.

" I have no idea how I got here." She shrugged.

"That would be my doing" A voice belonging to neither of them spoke.

((())))(((H&S(((()))))

**AN: Sorry for cliff hanger but it has to happen. Don't forget to review! And no worries Voldemort's death will be explained a little more later. **


	5. The Odd Picture

There were a few seconds of mad scrambling for the lights on Severus's part and a few seconds of panic on Hermione's before the source of the voice was located.

"SLY!" Hermione put her hand to her chest feeling her heart race. Severus was breathing like he'd just run a marathon as he help up the candle he'd just light.

"Hermione! You know this painting!" He panted. Apparently the voice had shocked him too. Hermione had never seen the Potions Master shocked before_. He was_ _even cuter_, Her brain supplied. He had leaned over in relief his large hands on his skinny knees. His torso heaved and his hair hung down in his face hiding his eyes.

"Hermione, is it?" Sly spoke. The woman in the picture he was currently standing in sighed and moved sideways out of her frame. "I don't really know how well you know me so allow me to introduce myself." He smiled charmingly. Hermione was reminded how much he looked like Severus, having seen the Slytherin smile now.

"I barely know you I met you in the hallway yesterday, well sort of" She sighed. Severus took a seat in the chair beside her bed and looked up at the man.

"Excellent than you're in for a surprise!" he smiled and sat cross-legged in the painting. She'd never seen a picture act so informal so human. Sure the Fat Lady got smashed every now and then but that was just her she never squatted. She never dropped anything for that matter.

"Who are you? How could you be responsible for my coming here?" Hermione blurted. Severus glared at her and Sly frowned.

"I'll get to that." He promised. "My full name is Charles Damien Slytherin." He rolled his eyes at his too long name. "That translates to the bastard son of THE Slytherin." He saw that both youngsters were bursting at the seam with questions. "Listen before you ask, I have no idea how I came to be only that I am. That and my father was less than pleased about my birth. He wouldn't let me come to school here. He sent my mother and I away and later in life tried to kill me." He shrugged.

"That's horrible! What a git!" Hermione couldn't help but interrupt.

"Hermione this could take ages if you don't shut it!" Severus said exasperatedly. Sly wisely chose not to say anything.

"Sorry."

"It's okay!" Sly grinned. "So basically I was banished from the school by my father, but I came back later to work in the stables, We used to have horses here did you know?" He continued. "For a while I was mates with my half brother, Slytherin's legitimate heir. Eventually Father found out and drove me out of the school. I got myself painted and mailed to the school after I died to piss him off." He sniggered "before that I fell in love with a lovely muggle lass." His dark eyes sort of glassed over and Hermione and Severus exchanged a glance. "She was called Ellie. I did it partly to piss of my Father you know pureblood must stay pure rubbish. She got pregnant had a lovely boy on the way when her muggle Da found out I was a wizard. She had no idea either. They were so frightened." He stopped speaking. Hermione wished he was out of the picture so she could hug him.

"She and the boy vanished and I never saw them again." He ran his hands threw his hair. "Anyway, Yesterday round the time you arrived I felt like I was having a heart attack, or maybe appareting again squeezed in a tunnel! And then I felt your magic in the castle. It called to me. Have you noticed anything strange in your magic lately? If I only talked to you yesterday I hadn't noticed before" He spoke this last part more to himself.

"Yea actually it feels stronger. It comes out of my wand almost violently like it bursts out!" Hermione admitted.

"It's wild" Severus blurted out. Hermione looked at him, Wild felt right. He was blushing. He looked away form her pale cheeks still pink. Weird.

"Yes wild, like I have too much, or it doesn't belong to me. Wild" She repeated.

"That'll likely be one of two things, you've just turned 20?" Hermione shook her head.

"Not that I know of time travel is a bit confusing, I traveled a bit when I was younger." She admitted. "I could very well be twenty, as far as I know I'm still nine-teen but close enough right?"

Sly smiled.

"That or you've encountered another heir. You are after all A Slytherin, weather you want to be or not."

"What?!" Both teenagers exclaimed.

"I don't' know how, Hermione, but I can feel it! You are my heir, your new magic calls to me. I felt your arrival the second you plopped down onto Severus. If I talked to you yesterday perhaps you had just encountered your cousin's magic."

"Voldemort." Hermione whispered. Sly shot to his feet.

"THAT BOY?" He thundered. Hermione had never heard a painting so loud and wondered that Madam Pomfrey wasn't rushing out of her office/chambers. "That foul perversion. What one Earth where you?" He ranted but his rant died and he put pieces together.

"He. He's hurt you hasn't he?" Sly's hands were pressed against the painting front. Severus had never seen anything like it. He looked as if he wanted to push out and run to the curly haired girl. "Tell me." His voice was strong and demanding. "Tell me please love what happened?"

"He's started a war. He wants to kill my kind. Muggleborns. He killed my best friends parents, we were at the end, almost defeated him. Harry Ron and I fought him. It was the first time I'd met him face to face. So that must have been the trigger. He died, the Astronomy tower collapsed on him. But yes I know him and Yes" That word was ragged and her eyes were tearing up. "He has hurt me"

"I'm so Sorry Hermione" One of Sly's hands had balled into a fist. He was enraged Severus could almost feel a magic coming from the man. "Forgive me." He sank to his knees forehead flattening against the painting trying to reach out to his crying long lost granddaughter.

"It's okay, I'm okay." She gave a weak laugh and whipped her eyes.

"I'm so sorry he hurt you. But you'll be okay! You know who you are, Hermione Slytherin. You're here at this school, it will be okay" He babbled. Severus could tell they were related both emotional Gryffindors for supposed Slytherins.

"It'll be okay Hermione," Severus said. He put his arms around her. "You've got us now."

Severus had no idea what to make of the painting. Paintings were no so human. Paintings didn't have magic like this one. It was a weak magic but Severus could feel it when he cried. _Paintings didn't make people cry!_

"Perhaps you should go Mr. Slytherin and we'll talk again in the morning?" Severus suggested feeling exhausted.

"Please it's Sly or Charlie if you have to." He nodded. "Yes your right I'm sorry Hermione I know this is a lot" he vanished out of the frame.

(((())))))H&S(((()))))))

"I should have let him finish. I need to know about being a Slytherin." She had calmed down considerably since he left.

"Who better to teach you?" Severus gestured to himself; eyebrow cocked and smirk firmly in place. "Let's rest till the morning Hermione and then Charlie you and I can figure everything out." He said

"How did you get to be so clever?" She laughed weakly. He laughed.

"Born this way I suppose." He chuckled climbing into the narrow bed. Hermione scoffed and flicked her wand enlarging it a big. "Ah it would seem you too are clever," He smiled.

"And what was it, wild?" She smirked. Severus blushed and turned his face away. "What's the matter?" She teased.

"Shut up." He glowered rolling away from her.

"Severus! I was joking!" She threw her arm around him and curled into his back. The boy rolled his eyes reaching his arm back for her hand. "I've never been the big spoon before." She whispered into his back.

"That's because your too tiny." He smirked.

"I get by!" She said pressing her cheek to his back. Severus closed his eyes with a smile.

"That's all anyone can ask." He replied and no more words were spoken. The two let the calm night settle over them and eventually they made their way back into a restful sleep.


End file.
